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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. staff — employees
  3. drill — the tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. spell — letters
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. staff — a stick
  14. spell — magic
  15. stock — shares
  16. spell — a short time
  17. drill — army training
  18. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com